The ongoing Ebola virus outbreak is now the largest recorded in the region's history.
asserted
outbreak → record → history
For Wivine Kabala, the day begins at 5.40am.
asserted
day → begin → 5.40am
The sun won't be up for another 10 minutes, but in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri region, the humidity is already climbing.
asserted
humidity → climb → region
Ms Kabala is a psychosocial expert for UNICEF in Bunia, the epicentre of an Ebola virus outbreak which has now surpassed 7,000 cases.
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which → surpass → cases
In Ituri, 28 of 36 health zones have reported cases, the highest of any affected region.
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zones → report → region
As of September 10, it accounted for 5,406 confirmed cases since the start of the current outbreak.
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it → account → outbreak
Ms Kabala's day starts with the team handover, and by 8am she has donned her protective gear and entered the Ebola treatment centre.
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she → start → centre
New patients and their families begin arriving fast.
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patients → arrive → ?
A 17-year-old girl arrives, bringing her six-year-old sister and a three-month-old baby.
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girl → arrive → sister
Their mother has been hospitalised for several days, and they don't really understand what's happening.
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what → hospitalise → days
Rumours and conspiracy theories have been spreading since the disease began to spread several months ago.
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disease → spread → ?
For now, Ms Kabala sits with the girls, and does her best to transform the treatment centre from a "place of fear" to somewhere they feel reassurance.
asserted
they → sit → reassurance
"I spend a lot of time talking to patients and their families, explaining what Ebola virus is," she tells the ABC.
"
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she → spend → ABC
I help reduce the stress experienced by families, try to bring back their smiles, and listen to them through active listening."
"I would like people to understand that Ebola virus exists, and, most importantly, to know the preventive measures they can take to protect themselves from the virus.
asserted
they → help → virus
More than 7,000 cases recorded across DRC
This Ebola outbreak has now become the largest on record in the history of the DRC.
asserted
outbreak → record → DRC
A total 7,672 cumulative confirmed cases have been recorded as of September 20, according to local officials.
uncertain
cases → confirm → officials
So far 2,703 of them have been in Ituri, where Ms Kabala is based.
asserted
Kabala → base → Ituri
The mortality rate, according to a September 20 situation report by the DRC's Ebola task force, was sitting at 48.2 per cent.
uncertain
rate → accord → cent
Unlike other Ebola virus outbreaks, this time transmission comes from the rarer Bundibugyo Ebola virus.
asserted
transmission → come → virus
The nature of the disease meant it did not show up on available testing kits for weeks, leaving health officials playing catch up with the spread.
asserted
it → mean → spread
Daily reports by the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare show the number of cases increasing by anywhere from 50 new cases to more than 70 new cases per day.
But there are signs of improvement.
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number → show → improvement
"Seven health zones have now passed the 42-day threshold without any new confirmed cases," the latest report said.
asserted
report → pass → cases
"Consequently, South Kivu is no longer among the currently affected provinces."
asserted
Kivu → affect → provinces
The DRC is the site of one of the most complex displacement crises on the planet, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
uncertain
DRC → accord → Refugees
Conflict, instability, epidemics and climate shock have taken a severe toll on the country, leaving almost 1 million displaced people at the epicentre of the situation.
asserted
Conflict → take → situation
While the disease had initially been reported in neighbouring Uganda, that outbreak has since been declared over.
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outbreak → report → Uganda
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) made the announcement after 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case.
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Centres → make → case
Uganda's last Ebola virus patient was discharged from care on July 16.
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patient → discharge → July
Keeping a health system afloat as an outbreak rages
While Ms Kabala sits with families and patients at the treatment centre in Bunia, Dr Babou Rukengeza Makanda has also gotten an early start.
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Makanda → keep → start
As the head of the Ebola Response for aid organisation Save The Children, it's his job to make sure the health system stays functioning.
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system → make → organisation
In the mornings, he tries to keep a simple routine.
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he → try → routine
"Before starting the day, I take a little time to organise my priorities and prepare myself for what may come," he says.
uncertain
he → start → myself
"In this kind of response, you also learn to accept that you cannot control everything."
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you → learn → everything
"You have to focus on what you can influence and make the best decisions with the information available."
Loading...Over the coming hours, he will review the latest updates from health officials on the ground and check in with his team in the field.
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he → have → field
Then his meetings begin — sometimes with the Ministry of Health, the WHO, or health zone teams.
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meetings → begin → Health
"Another aspect that may surprise people is how much coordination and problem-solving is required behind the scenes to keep the response moving," he says.
uncertain
he → surprise → scenes
"At the same [time], I have to plan a time to brief any new staff arriving in Ebola zones, ensure [they are] getting an Ebola kit, and information about prevention, health care, any medevac situation.
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they → have → prevention
"
An outbreak 'of a scale not experienced before'
Infection has fallen by 26 per cent in Ituri over the last three weeks, the WHO said in a September 23 update.
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WHO → experience → update
But at the same time, North Kivu province recorded a 73 per cent increase in infection.
asserted
province → record → infection
WHO Regional Emergency director for Africa Dr Marie Roseline Belizaire said the patterns showed the outbreak was "still not under control".
asserted
outbreak → say → control
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
